Moreland named Fitzgerald the interim chief Tuesday afternoon and told the Selectboard about his selection at Tuesday night's board meeting.

Fitzgerald will take over for outgoing Police Chief Gene Wrinn, who announced his retirement on June 2.

"I am confident and comfortable in the leadership of Captain Fitzgerald," Moreland said. "The town is in good hands."

Wrinn is retiring from the Brattleboro Police Department after 28 years of service to the town.

"The process of appointing the police chief is the responsibility of the town manager," Moreland said in an interview earlier in the day. "The board and I work closely together and I want to bring this to the attention of the board."

Moreland said he will advertise on national police association web sites and accept applications for about four weeks.

The town will offer a salary range of between $75,000 and $85,000.

Moreland told the board he wanted to bring together four committees to help with the search.

Moreland said he will accept and review the applications and then establish a group of candidates who will be interviewed by the four committees.

He said he wanted to form a seven-member citizen committee and a committee made up of five police department staff to work with the Selectboard.

Management from the Department of Public Works and the Brattleboro Fire Department will also sit in on the Selectboard interviews.

The town will accept applications from residents to serve on the citizen committee.

Moreland said he will ask each committee applicant to provide two questions he or she wishes to ask the candidate and Moreland will choose the committee based on those questions

Moreland also recommended that an evaluation committee be formed to oversee the process.

That committee, Moreland said, will be made up of the the town manager, the Selectboard Chairman, a member of an outside law enforcement agency, as well as Tristan Toleno, who is a member of the Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee, and Windham County State's Attorney Tracy Shriver.

The evaluation committee will come up with its questions, interview the candidates and then make two recommendations to the town manager, who will make the final decision.

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